The effect of group art therapy on the stress coping ability of Chinese international students in South Korea: using the person-in-the-rain test.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group therapy on the stress coping skills of Chinese students in Korea using a pre-test post-test control group design. Methods: Thirty participants were randomly placed into an experimental group (EG; n = 15) and a control group (CG; n = 15). The EG completed eight 120-min sessions of group art therapy. The Person-in-the-Rain (PITR) drawing test was conducted with both groups before and after the EG completed art therapy. Results: The test revealed that EG members demonstrated lower stress and significantly higher stress resources and coping abilities than the CG members after the intervention. The group art therapy program improved the EG participants' ability to deal with stress. Discussion: This study's findings may offer insights useful for determining how best to provide psychological and emotional support to international students who have left their home countries and are continuing their academic journeys abroad.

International Chinese students' experiences of participating in mandala-based art therapy in Korea: a phenomenological study.

Background: Although China and South Korea share a similar East Asian culture, owing to major social and cultural differences, international students encounter several difficulties, which can lead to various psychological problems. Objective: To explore the experiences of eight Chinese doctoral students in South Korea participating in mandala-based art therapy. Method: Data for this phenomenological study were gathered through individual interviews and visual art from April 5 to 20, 2022. The MAXQDA software program was used for data analysis. Results: The data analysis results yielded 355 codes, 53 subcategories, and 17 categories. Five final themes emerged: (a) sealed lips by others' eyes, (b) inner exploration and outward expression, (c) healing power of the mandala, (d) filling the inner space together, and (e) opportunities to understand art therapy. Conclusion: The researchers hope that completing this intervention will enable participants to complete their studies more effectively and achieve their ideals as well as future career goals, helping them ultimately return home safely with both personal and academic growth.

The effect of group art therapy on acculturative and academic stress of Chinese graduate students in South Korea.

Background: Research has shown that international students, specifically Chinese graduate students in South Korea, are vulnerable to stress and depression because of various factors. These include environmental changes, economic constraints, interpersonal difficulties, discrimination, and cultural conflict. Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of group art therapy in reducing acculturative stress and academic stress among Chinese graduate students in South Korea. Method: Thirty participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 15) and control groups (n = 15). The experimental group received eight 120-min sessions of group art therapy. Both groups were tested for acculturative stress (perceived discrimination, homesickness, perceived hate, fear, stress due to change/culture shock) and academic stress (schoolwork stress, future stress, social stress, living environment stress) before and after the art therapy intervention. Results were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The results showed that there was a significantly greater reduction in acculturative and academic stress in the experimental than the control group. Conclusion: Group art therapy can provide psychological and emotional support to international students studying abroad.

Korean clergy for healthy families: online intervention for preventing intimate partner violence.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) among immigrant women is a serious public health problem. Churches and clergy play a fundamental role in their lives, as a form of social organization and alternative to community services. PURPOSE: To describe the implementation and evaluation of an intervention for Korean American faith leaders designed to increase knowledge about IPV and about resources to handle IPV, strengthen attitudes that do not support IPV, enhance self-efficacy to handle IPV, and increase prevention and intervention behaviors about IPV. METHODS: Korean American faith leaders in a Southeastern state of the USA were invited to participate in the study (n = 55). Participants completed two online assessments: baseline and a 3-month follow-up. After the baseline assessment, participants were randomized to either the intervention (n = 27) or the control (n = 28) group. The intervention consisted of three online modules, each taking approximately 30-45 min to complete. Modules were developed based on the researchers' work with Korean American faith leaders. Assessments and interventions were available in Korean and English. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the intervention group significantly improved their knowledge of resources and enhanced attitudes against IPV. The intervention group increased their self-efficacy and behaviors to prevent IPV more than the control group, but these changes were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The online training provided a safe and convenient environment for the Korean American clergy, for whom anonymity and convenient access were important. Results are promising, but highlight the need to include more specific training of skills, which could be incorporated into the online modules in the form of an avatar. This online training could serve as a template to be adapted for other immigrant groups.